DISCLAIMER: All of this belongs to goddess JK Rowling, Scholastic, Bloomsbury etc. I own nothing except the plot, and that isn't even in existence yet!! NOT MINE... but if she ever gets tired of Draco or Ginny I'd have them- especially Draco.... hmm.... fruitless wishing...
A/N: I'M SO SORRY FOR THE WAIT!!!! I NEVER expected so many reviews!! Ahh you all are so wonderful!! You have no idea... when I started writing this chapter, there were like 3 more reviews but now there are more than for the first chapter!! THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH! Oh but just as a warning, this chapter starts out a bit fluffy... and cheesy, but it'll get better I promise! And also... I realize that it's REALLLLY cheesy and I think this idea is used a lot better by other people, but give me a break it's my first long fanfic!
As always, thanks to all my wonderful betas!
One Kiss
The Beginning of a Beautiful Friendship
Ginny woke up to the insistent knocking of someone at her flat's door. She groggily checked the Muggle clock next to her bed. The dull neon green light flashed 7:28. She got out of bed, pulling on a sweatshirt over her tank top, and walked in boxers out of her room. After living with 6 brothers, she'd found that boxers were indeed very comfy and had taken to buying her own and stitching up the crotch.
She walked down the hall sleepily, hardly knowing where she was going, while rubbing the sleep out of her eyes. She got to the door and, eyes half-lidded from exhaustion, opened the door to find Draco standing there, smirking at her and fully dressed. She blinked, and then frowned.
"It's 7:30 in the morning, Malfoy, I wasn't even awake until now. What the hell are you doing here?"
"I decided to come bright and early, because I wake up early anyway, and bug you. I was hoping for a hello, but I guess the view I'm getting is worth it." Draco's lingering eyes scrutinized her figure.
Ginny looked down at what she was wearing, and felt a blush creep up to her pale, slightly freckled cheeks. She wasn't wearing anything too revealing, but the boxer shorts were a bit high even if the zipped up sweatshirt covered her chest. She'd forgotten that all she had on were pajamas, albeit with a sweatshirt.
She looked up to see Draco's smirk broadening. Her embarrassment started to turn into annoyance, and she snapped, "Fine, since you're here, go put your stuff in the spare bedroom, which is at the far end of the hall. I'll be in the shower while you put your stuff away. You can put your things for the bathroom there later. And if you want breakfast, make it yourself."
Draco innocently replied, "But what if I want to take a shower? And how am I supposed to protect you when you're in the shower, let alone when I'm in the shower?"
Ginny blushed deeper, and then angrily retorted, "You can take one AFTER me, and if you must, stay outside the door when I'm showering. When you shower, well then, that's your business."
Draco grinned wickedly. He loved making her squirm, and although she tried to cover it up, he had succeeded. He thought he'd have a bit more fun with her.
"Well, then, I think it'd be safer if we showered at the same time," he whispered, giving her a suggestive look, "and that way you'll be safe, and we'll save water."
Ginny sputtered, not being able to form a coherent sentence. "You... me... shower... no... together... both... unbelievable... really... think... save water..." Draco watched in amusement as she got redder and redder, her face turning a darker red than her hair, if that was possible.
She exploded, "NO ABSOLUTELY NOT!!! There is NO WAY in HELL I'm SHOWERING with YOU!!!"
Draco sighed sarcastically to hide the huge smirk that was threatening to surface. He pretended to be upset about it. "Fine, ruin my fun Weasley," he said, faking a sad tone.
Then he let the smirk show and said, "You have no sense of humor Weasley. In any case, I've already covered that. Here." He handed her a necklace- it was a black pearl orb held by a carefully woven web of platinum, it seemed, and had a platinum chain to match.
It was very durable, and looked extremely expensive. Ginny gasped. "It's one of my grandmothers' necklaces. It was given to me merely because she didn't have any female grandchildren, seeing as how I'm an only child and the oldest out of all my cousins. It's charmed, so that when you wear it, I can sense if you're in danger and by the pulsing I can sense how far away you are. The only thing is I need something in return. Do you have an object that you always carry around? I need it for this to work. Oh, and Weasley," he added as she went back to her room, "you better not lose it- it costs a fortune."
Ginny scowled and rolled her eyes. She turned her back on him, head held high, as she headed for her room. Once inside, she went straight to her nightstand and began rummaging through it. Finally finding what she was looking for, a small black velvet box, she brought it out to him.
Draco stared at the box curiously, wondering what it could be for when she opened it, taking out a small silver bracelet with which was embedded with a diamond and two black opals encased in a web of silver. Draco raised his eyebrows in surprise as he stared at the beautiful stones. Ginny ignored him, staring raptly at the orb, her fingers delicately stroking it.
"This was my grandmother's. It's sort of a family heirloom. I always wear it. Did you always wear yours?" she asked slyly, smiling at the thought of Draco wearing something so... feminine and delicate.
Draco huffed indignantly. "Of course not! I carry it in my pockets all the time, though- she was close to me. I liked her a lot." He shrugged indifferently, taking the silver chain.
Disregarding his wand, he began chanting quietly, a spell that Ginny didn't know and was quite certain that it was an ancient spell. He was also speaking a different language, Latin perhaps, and Ginny had no idea what he was saying, so she just stood there and waited.
It was beginning to get boring, and right as she was going to ask him how much longer it would take, he finished with a quick, 'Adgredi'. Carefully, he placed the bracelet in a hidden pocket in his robes. Ignoring her, he stalked down the hall to the spare bedroom and quietly shut the door.
Staring once more at the necklace, Ginny walked back to her room to get her things for a shower. She clasped the necklace tightly in her hand, deciding to put it on after her shower.
Thirty minutes later, Ginny walked into the kitchen, dressed in simple clothes, to see Draco at the counter making pancakes, flipping them every now and then. He raised his eyebrows questioningly at her. She sighed irritably and took the pearl out from under her robes. He nodded, satisfied, and then smirked.
"Bet you've never even seen something that beautiful or expensive in your life, Weasley."
Ginny scowled. "Excluding, of course, that bracelet in your pocket?" Draco flinched- he'd forgotten about that. She smirked. "Well, at least everything I have has meaning, and isn't just for show."
Draco found his way to strike back for that stupid, absolutely only mistake he'd ever make, or so he said. "Oh, you mean your robes are special? What, did Potter touch them?" he retorted, seeing he hit a nerve. His smirk broadened. "Don't tell me you're still in love with him."
Ginny stiffened. "Contrary to popular belief, I am not still in love with him-" Draco snorted. "- and won't be again. He's getting married, and I'm happy for him. He never noticed me anyway," she added a bit lamely. Her forcefulness took Draco by surprise.
She definitely intrigued him. All the other girls he met would never speak to him that way- they'd only fawn over him or cringe away in fear. They were all either attracted by or afraid of his money, power, or both. She was a new flavor in the dull, repetitive girls he knew.
"So do you still like him then?" Draco asked slyly, waiting for the rage to set in. She caught him completely off guard.
"I like him, in a brotherly sense, but not more," she answered calmly. Then it was her turn to smirk cunningly and she asked seductively, "Besides, how could I even think of Harry when I have an amazingly sexy guy living with me?"
Draco opened his mouth in surprise, staring at her with a look of shock. She walked up to him and gently took his jaw in her hand, lifting it to close his mouth. Then she leaned in. Draco inhaled sharply. It was killing both of them to be so close, but then Ginny whispered in his ear, "Just kidding."
Draco scowled deeply. Then, turning around so quickly Ginny couldn't react; he took a handful of chocolate chips and threw them at her. He had been using them to make chocolate chip pancakes.
Ginny sputtered indignantly and grabbed some as well, hurtling them right back. He grinned wickedly and ducked her throw, catching the ones that he could and shoving them in his mouth. The rest of them dropped to the ground.
She huffed, and then reached for the plate of pancakes that Draco had just finished making, stealing some chocolate chips along the way. Sliding some pancakes onto her own plate, she walked over and sat down at the kitchen table.
In a pathetic last attempt, she threw a glass of orange juice that she just poured at him. He was five feet away and had barely gotten a drop of it on his robes. He simply used a cleaning spell, looking unperturbed. Ginny huffed again, half-heartedly, and began her breakfast.
She took one bite and was immediately hooked. "Malfoy, when did you ever learn to cook? I thought you had house-elves to do the work for you."
Draco stiffened. He looked back from the Muggle stove where he was standing and snapped, "What would you know, Weasley?"
Ginny, a bit scared at the sudden outburst since the temper shown could match hers, brightly said, "Bring the butter, please," hoping not to make him even madder.
Draco glared at her for what seemed to be an eternity. Then he wordlessly brought a plate of pancakes and butter with a knife. Sitting down, he started eating and didn't glance at her once, not even when she stood up.
Ginny walked over to the dishwasher and put her plate in the racks. Then she went into her room to get ready to go to Madam Malkin's.
As Ginny walked into her room, Draco finished his silent ranting. As they had been eating, he'd been furious about the fact that she even had the nerve to say such a thing. What right had she, a mere Weasley, to assume she knew about his life? Sure, he had been nasty, but that had all been before his mother and he had moved into her parents' house.
Narcissa had finally decided to get away from Lucius. Draco and his mother had decided that Lucius could move back into Malfoy Manor, seeing as how he loved it and they despised it. They moved in with her parents.
Narcissa's parents had been ill, and she simply got tired of living in a huge mansion- it was too big for her taste, and although she enjoyed the luxury, she wanted a smaller home. There was no way Narcissa was moving without Draco, though, because he couldn't stand the sight of his father. It had been a lot better at his grandparents' house.
It had been a bright, sunny day- his least favorite type of day- when Draco and his mother finally decided to
leave. They packed everything away quickly and left the disgustingly cold Manor. Almost everything was untouched- the
only things that were empty were their rooms. All of their most treasured possessions were taken- none of the furniture
was disturbed, or any of the statues or paintings. They simply Apparated away, after sending a quick owl to Lucius
telling him he could go back to his Manor.
Arriving at the bigger than average house, Draco found that his although they were wealthy, his grandparents lived a simple life without servants. They collected antiques, and made sure to take care of them. That was their hobby and their one joy after retirement. Draco thought that it was really quite interesting- some of the things that they collected were really interesting and looked exquisite, especially some of the jewelry his grandmother collected. All he did all day was look around the house and examine their stuff.
He should have known it was too good to be true, though, because the next day they told him that he had to learn to cook and clean himself. At first, he'd acted all grouchy and spoiled, but after a strict lecture from his grandfather, which had left the man coughing and gasping for air, Draco understood that he needed to help.
Draco never became docile and gentle- there was simply no known way to tame him. However, he did learn manners and values while living there. His grandmother had taught him to cook, and he found that he had a knack for it. He also found, with a shock, that his mother was an excellent cook. The housework included dusting, and mopping, and much more... all of it tedious.
However, the one thing that got Draco shocked beyond belief was that he wasn't supposed to use magic unless it was for something big, and very necessary. His grandparents wanted to teach him how to work without his wand, and also to fight without it. They believed, and his grandfather especially insisted, that he do it that way in case he was ever in a situation where he didn't have his wand.
He figured it might be useful, in case he had to fend for himself, but he still wasn't happy about it. He cleaned the house each week, and learned to fight every day except Sunday, by his grandfather (always watching out for his health, of course). Draco had taken quite a few blows before he really started to get the hang of it. It had taken a long time for him to get used to that whole simple lifestyle, but he managed to do it, even though he really wasn't happy about it at the beginning.
Now, though, it paid off. Being in a Muggle apartment on a rowdy street, he'd need all the tips and lessons his
grandparents had given him. At least this apartment was a quiet, neighborhood type of apartment.
Suddenly, he thought of his grandmothers' death and a new surge of anger erupted. Of course, it hadn't been proven, but Draco knew that his father had done it. He had been very sour about having his wife control him.
Lucius had visited the week before. His grandmother had died of food poisoning. It was all so very obvious, but there was no evidence, no proof. Draco suspected that he'd put in a Muggle poison and left a simple charm on it, one that wouldn't be detected as suspicious by Prior Incantato.
It had lain dormant until the next week, coming into effect right when, the week before, Lucius had excused himself during dinner. They always ate dinner at 6:30, no matter what, and that proved fatal for his grandmother.
It had been all so sudden. Draco couldn't stop it or really do anything. She'd just held her heart as she fell down, and when he went to help her, handed him the necklace Ginny now had and said, "Keep this, Draco. You'll know what to do with it." To the rest of them she'd said, "I love you all. Take care."
Narcissa had taken it the hardest, not eating and drinking only water for days. That had been when he'd gone to Dumbledore. When Lucius had tried to hurt Narcissa, he'd simple started hating Voldemort. He couldn't shake off the Dumbledore he'd been brought up to know- a fool and a Muggle-lover.
However, he'd loved his grandmother dearly. That had been the last straw. He'd gone to Dumbledore to become a spy. This was his first real assignment; before, he'd mostly had to report on the activities of the group. This was very simple and not a strenuous assignment as they were on the decline and Dumbledore had many other spies.
Draco finished his breakfast and brought it over to the sink and contraption Ginny had put hers in. He set the plate down with a quiet clink on the counter, and then stood back and surveyed the contraption.
Unfortunately, his grandparents had used simple magic in their home and therefore couldn't install electrical appliances. This looked electrical to him, since he could see lines, which he assumed to be wires, coming out of the box, but he couldn't figure out how to open it.
Then he heard a small giggle that was quickly stifled. He turned around to see Ginny, dressed in a midnight blue robe that flattered her. She blushed under his stern gaze, and quietly said, "I'm sorry about what I said, and I guess we'd better get along better if we're gonna live together. I'll try to be patient if you'll do the same."
He smirked. "Okay, Weasley. I'll try."
She huffed and crossed her arms over her chest. "And I don't appreciate being mocked."
"Well, get used to it- if you're living with me, there's no way I'm gonna pass up a chance like that."
Ginny glared at him, and then took a deep breath, calming herself. Once she'd judged herself calm, she began again. "I'm off to Madam Malkin's. What is the most distance we can put between the gems, without making them dysfunctional?" She pointed to the necklace hanging on her neck.
Draco noticed distractedly the low V-shaped neckline before answering, "Anywhere, but the signal gets weaker as the distance grows. It would be best if I stayed in Diagon Alley with you, but I'll be bored out of my mind."
Ginny smiled sweetly. "Maybe you could get a job? Help me pay the rent while you're here, since you're living here and therefore cost money to feed."
Draco half-scowled, half-smirked. "I only cost money to feed? I think I'm worth more than that…"
Ginny muttered quietly, "Yeah, like maybe a cent or two more…"
Draco ignored it and said, "But I'll ask Madam Malkin if she needs another assistant, since all other places are either boring or full."
Ginny frowned and sighed dramatically. "Oh, and I was hoping to be rid of you for at least the day- I guess that won't happen. Now I'm stuck with you all day, 24/7 for who knows how long, if she has an opening? Will my suffering never end?"
Draco glared at her, and then retorted, "At least you're not stuck with a short-tempered, ill-mannered, overly dramatic redhead who doesn't know when to shut her mouth."
Ginny smiled innocently. "And you are?"
Draco smirked. "No, of course not. I'm stuck with someone much worse."
Ginny glared at him, and then picked up her purse. On her way out, she muttered, "Stuck-up git."
He smiled and replied, "Not a git- a prat."
Ginny muttered something incoherently, but Draco distinctly heard 'fuck' in there. Draco sneered at her and said, "Tch, tch Weasley. Language! Wouldn't want people to think you aren't the innocent virgin you're made out to be."
Ginny smiled slyly, "Who said I was?"
Draco raised a perfectly arched brow. Then he started laughing. Hard.
Ginny gaped indignantly. "What is so funny?"
Draco's laughs subsided a bit, enough so he could answer with, "You, not a virgin? As if I'll live to see the day you're not a virgin before you're married."
Ginny scowled, "Screw you!"
Draco started laughing even harder than before, almost doubling over in a fit of hysteria. Ginny walked up and slapped him not so nicely across the cheek and stormed out. Draco's laughter abated and he followed her out.
~*~*~
Ginny's temper had lessened enough for her to breathe normally by the time they'd reached Madam Malkin's.
Draco was still smirking to himself. They walked into the shop one after the other, with a few moments and a few feet
between the two of them.
There was a small tinkling sound as magical bells announced Ginny's arrival. Madam Malkin herself strode over to Ginny, smiling at her. Then she spotted Draco coming in a few seconds after Ginny, and her smile faded a little, turning into a sort of suspicious and curious gaze.
"Ginny! You're here a bit early today. Who's that with you?"
"This is Draco Malfoy. He needs to get a job, and I was wondering-"
Draco interrupted indignantly. "I can speak for myself! Do you have an opening for an assistant? I'd really love to help you out, since I have such impeccable taste."
Ginny snorted and muttered, "and an ego bigger than he is."
Draco scowled at her, and then turned back to Madam Malkin.
"Well, normally I wouldn't let you apply so quickly and let you in within a moment's notice, but since you and Miss Weasley seem to be such good friends, I don't see why not. Unless you object, Miss Weasley?"
Ginny sighed, "I guess I don't have much of a choice. Why not?"
Draco opened his mouth to protest and say he wasn't that bad when Madam Malkin clapped her hands and said happily, "Good, I need a new assistant. Now we'll just get you started on learning how to fit a person. Virginia, will you please show him? I'll take care of your other duties for now. You do so much work already."
Ginny wanted to object, to say that she thought someone else would do because she couldn't stand him much longer, but these words died on her lips at the praise. How could she refuse?
"All right, Malfoy, follow me. And don't fuss, otherwise you're leaving and going to Dumbledore and explaining yourself. Understand?"
Draco rolled his eyes but obeyed, muttering under his breath. Ginny glared at him when she heard 'bossy women', only to see his innocent looking eyes staring back at her. He followed her to the back of the store where the robes lay and listened, albeit looking bored as hell, as Ginny explained what he had to do.
Madam Malkin stared at the two. "You know," she said to herself, "I really do think they'd make an interesting pair."
As she got back to her work, Ginny picked out a robe that was cheap and she could afford and slipped it over her head, standing on the stool. She looked at Draco, seeming to gauge him, and demanded, "Now, fit me for these simple robes, so I can tell if you really were listening or just tuning me out."
Draco sighed and took some pins from the pocket of the work robes Ginny had fitted him for. Ginny took off her robes, revealing simple Muggle clothes underneath- a half-buttoned shirt covering a simple white tank top and jeans that flared out a bit at the bottom.
Starting at the hem of the robes, he expertly drew it in so that it ended just below her heel. He slowly moved up her legs, taking the robes a lot, but not so much to make it seem like she was anorexic- she did have some meat on her (though not much). Ignoring the thought, he made the robes flare out at the bottom, copying the style of her jeans. These were just going to be everyday wear, nothing special. He moved up, amazed at her curvy body and her slim waist.
Ginny was discovering other things. His gentle hands moved swiftly and deftly and she wondered how skillful someone could get just by listening. He looked as if he'd been doing this his entire life. Another thing that was bothering her was how she kept getting warm and pleasant shocks whenever he accidentally brushed her skin through the fabric. She cursed the rules, which required all assistants to learn by hand before using wands. It was in case their wands were malfunctioning (rare, but it had happened).
Now he was moving up her waist and ribs. She looked down and her eyes widened at the lovely flowing bottom of the robes, resembling a wispy, bell-like dress robe, which was the new style. She'd figured that he'd do the easiest job, but she supposed that since he was a Malfoy, this was simple in his eyes.
He hadn't come up 2nd in all his classes, only below Hermione (which Ginny had heard right when Ron and Harry had come to the Burrow, furious that Malfoy had gotten such high marks over themselves), without hard work, meticulously taking notes and studying hard, even doing extra research. He must have had to, to get such good grades.
Draco was now facing a bit of a problem. He'd gone as far up as he dared without making himself or her feel uncomfortable. He was at her chest, and hesitated.
Ginny felt, rather than saw, where he had hesitated. She drew in a slow breath and sighed. Without even bothering to wait for him to ask what to do, she turned around and said, "Tighten from the back. Mind you, not too tight," she added suspiciously, glaring down at him.
Draco smirked and got to work once more.
~*~*~
After a few more minutes Ginny stood in front of the three mirrors near the fitting section. She gasped and said very
quietly, "I think you've got a knack for this kind of thing."
"Of course I do. I am the one with impeccable taste and skill," Draco drawled.
Ginny rolled her eyes, "Not to possibly inflate your head any more." She shook her head down at him. Then, suddenly, her stomach rumbled quite distinctly. Her cheeks were on fire and she asked a bit timidly, "Want to go for lunch? I guess it's been awhile since breakfast. I'll just pay for these and we'll go."
Ginny walked over to Madam Malkin's. As she was paying, she asked Madam Malkin, "Madam? Can I take my lunch break now? I've been working all this morning and I promise to be back by 2." Madam Malkin readily agreed, asking her if Draco would be along. "Yes, I guess he would be. I can't really let him out of my sight, can I?" Madam Malkin smiled in a sort of apologetic way.
Draco lifted a pale blond eyebrow, waiting for her. After she came back, he looked her over and remarked, "You sure you eat? I mean, I can see some meat on you, but it's not very much..."
Ginny snorted and muttered, "If you only knew."
Draco's eyebrows shot up. "As if you could hold any more food."
Ginny grinned mischievously and asked challengingly, "So, you wanna have an eating contest?"
Draco smirked, "Bring it on, Ginge."
Ginny barely registered the nickname before dashing off down to Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlor. She shouted over her shoulder, "Oh I will, Spike!"
Draco flared at the nickname, "And what is that supposed to mean?" He rushed quickly but elegantly down to the parlor where Ginny was already waiting. Ginny grinned slyly and said, "If you don't know, I'm not about to tell you!"
Draco shook his head and carefully kept an inconspicuous distance between the two. Her eyes questioned his. He raised his eyebrows and she quickly tilted her head toward the parlor. He shook his head and tilted it in the vague direction of her apartment. She nodded and bought her ice cream, before turning and walking purposefully by him, but she whispered as she passed, "There's an alley by the building." She got to the edge of the outside tables and Apparated with a 'crack'.
He understood her meaning, and went to get his ice cream. He'd seen the alley on his way over there the first time. After paying for the enormous chocolate raspberry ice cream, he also strode to that spot outside the parlor, before Apparating away.
What neither of them noticed was a pair of hazel eyes, shielded by the huge umbrella at a table outside, watching their every move as one after the other Apparated away.
~*~*~
Landing very near and almost inside of a trash can, Draco hurried quickly around the corner and to the doors of her
apartment building, looking for a way in. Last time he had come, no one had been near and he used magic to get in, but
now there was an annoying old lady talking amicably with another younger lady at the doors, so he had to figure out how
to get by them since he knew they were locked.
Looking around, he noticed a row of buttons and saw one labeled Ginger Westley. Snickering at the name, he pushed it and waited for a second. From the big metal plate with holes in it, he heard Ginny say, "Yes?" and, startled as he was, he answered, "It's me. Let me in!"
He heard Ginny snort and then a buzz came from the same metal plate. Timidly, he tried the door. It was unlocked. He started up the stairs.
Reaching the fourth level, he got to Ginny's door. Remembering that he didn't have a key, he cursed under his breath and knocked. Ginny opened the door quickly and before she could say a word he cut in and said, "You know, I might need a key to get into this place." Licking off some ice cream that was gently oozing down the side of his waffle bowl, Draco went in and sat down on the couch.
Ginny closed the door and turned around, giving him a quizzical look. "Why do we need to be so inconspicuous all of a sudden? We're going to be working together!"
Draco sighed and put his ice cream down, saying a quick Freezing Charm to make it stay cool and immobile. "Because, Gingie," Ginny flared at the name, "I won't be noticeable in these horrible work robes, and we've only been working in the back rooms. I've no doubt that Voldemort will send people to watch me and see if I'm doing my job, and I have to remain as far as possible from you without weakening the signal too much. Get it?"
Ginny gave him a half-hearted glare before coming to sit on the couch adjacent to the one he was at. She sighed and said, "You can never be unnoticeable, what with your platinum blond hair. Well, at least now we can have our eating contest in peace. Ready, set, EAT!"
They both dug into their delicious treats. Draco looked up at Ginny. She shoveled the food into her mouth, yet it didn't seem as uncivilized as he thought. Disgusting, yes, and very unexpected, but kind of... cute. Draco stopped for a split second. He did not just think of the little Weasley as... cute. No, of course not, not in any way, shape or form would he ever think that. He smirked, satisfied with himself.
Ginny, on the other hand, was also subtly glancing over at Draco. He ate in a very refined manner, causing him to lose, of course, but it was so very... elegant. She laughed quietly to herself. She never thought that eating ice cream would be elegant, but he made it possible. It was absolutely hilarious.
Draco glanced up quickly and noticed her duck a split-second too late. He smirked and quickened his pace, eating his ice cream a little more recklessly but nevertheless still elegantly and tried to beat her as the last of the ice cream was disappearing from her dish as well. They both looked up at the same time and each grinned mischievously and quickly gobbled their ice cream. Ginny managed to snatch the win. Mocking him, she wiped her mouth delicately and folded her napkin before smiling slightly at him.
Draco scowled at her. "At least I was close!" She started giggling, and before long, laughing hysterically. As her temper lessened Draco noticed that her face lost all age and she looked like a teenager getting her first boyfriend. 'She probably hasn't even had a boyfriend yet... ha!' he thought wickedly. But he let none of that show, just a bit of an upset expression at having lost.
"How do you eat so much?" Draco wondered. She wasn't a stick, but she was still extremely skinny and he couldn't believe that he couldn't beat her in an eating contest. She suddenly looked his way. Her face was still glowing from laughter but she looked at him thoughtfully. Then she asked, "Where did you learn all that stuff about fitting people? There is no way you could have done so well just by listening."
Draco raised his eyebrow. "Do you really think that, with a mother and father as vain as mine, I wouldn't have learned to fit them to the best of my ability? Of course my mother would have me learn that. I was a respectable Malfoy and I had to be impeccable. It pays off now, doesn't it?" He smirk in a self-satisfied way. He had even done better than the little Weasley.
She gave him a full-out glare. She knew he was implying that she was incompetent. She felt her temper flare and she calmed herself. This was not a time to get mad at Malfoy. Instead she said, "Well, at least it's good that you have some experience and aren't clumsy. Madam Malkin would really regret hiring you if that was the case."
Draco lifted his eyebrows in surprise. "But you wouldn't? If I were clumsy, that would be the perfect time to get closer to me, don't you think?" Ginny blushed all over, half from embarrassment and half from absolute anger. "Oh, you don't have to deny it. I know what you think of me..."
Ginny sputtered and said a bit louder than she'd intended, "What do I think of you then? That you're a STUPID, SLIMY, SELF-ABSORBED, VAIN, SNOTTY GIT?" She took a deep breath. But then, glancing up at him and seeing his ever-present, lascivious smirk, she couldn't stand it anymore and got up, stormed to her room, and slammed the door. She knew that she was acting childish, but she couldn't help it. He got on her nerves and she really didn't want to deal with it. She had about ½ an hour left before she had to go back and she would not spend it with the git. Deciding on a quick nap, she quickly fell asleep thinking, 'Why did I have to get stuck with him?'
Draco, on the other hand, was a bit surprised at her show of obvious anger. But he was also delighted. Now he knew exactly how to pull on her strings and get her annoyed. Maybe this would teach her a lesson, and maybe he could even have fun. It certainly wouldn't be as boring with her to bug and get incensed all the time. He took a watch from out of his robe pocket and checked it. It was a watch that showed Galleons and Sickles and Knuts dancing around the edge of the watch. But he understood that it was 1:32. He decided to give Ginny at least 10 minutes to cool off before going to check on her. For now, he got himself comfortable and started reading a magazine on her table.
~*~*~
Dumbledore created a steeple with his fingers and rested his chin on the point. Then he thoughtfully gazed at Fawkes without really seeing them. He turned around in his chair and looked up at the paintings of all of the past wizards that had been Headmaster at Hogwarts. He looked around for a certain turquoise-eyed wizard. He spotted the man snoozing in one of the lower frames. He quietly said, "Macmillan, we need to talk."
A/N: Oooh... a cliffie there. Is he related to Ernie Macmillan? And what about that strange man? I could have added in a bit more, but I really got lazy and I want to just get it out since I know you've been anxiously awaiting it. Hahaha I know it's still really cheesy but I'm starting to work on the angst... you need true fluff and cheesiness before the real clincher comes. Don't worry, I've got lots more planned for this. So sorry for taking so long to update!
THANK YOU TO ALL MY READERS! I'm not even beta-ing this because it's so late and I really just want to get it out. So I'm not going to name everyone, but you know who you are! THANK YOU ALL!
~Trin. M
BTW If you really do see some very obvious mistakes PLEASE LET ME KNOW!!